Plan Your Meetings

PYM Tips and Things We Like: April 2006

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Tips

Concerned about whether or not a hotel strike will affect your future meetings or events? The American Hotel & Lodging Association published the 16-page "Meeting in the Middle: A Quick Primer for Meeting Planners on Negotiating Convention and Event Contracts," which talks about meeting planners' legal rights in regards to force majeure; threats, strikes and boycotts; and damages and cancellation clauses. The brochure and more detailed information, such as updates on the contract negotiations, are available at ahla.com/labor. For advice and tips from union organizers on what to do if a job action is called at a hotel where you have an event planned, visit hotellaboradvisor.info for its meeting planner guide.

The potential for pandemic flu is tracked at pandemicflu.gov and at the Flu Wiki. If you have business-specific questions about the spread of avian flu, contact DHSPandemic@dhs.gov, or the Center for Disease Control at 800-CDC-INFO or inquiry@cdc.gov.

Want great service at your event? Investigate meeting in a city that's home to a well-regarded hospitality school. According to the Houston CVB, 30 percent of the graduates from the Hilton School at the University of Houston remain in Houston and contribute to the city's hospitality industry.

Sally Breen, Director of Spa Services of the Harbor Beach Marriott in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has tips for planners on how to make first-time spa visitors more at ease. The most important thing is for planners to advise groups on spa etiquette before they arrive (how much they are expected to tip, what they can wear or should not wear during treatment sessions, to drink plenty of water, etc.). Breen says attendees at her spa are greeted by their first name from the moment they check in and throughout their stay; additionally, guests are escorted from the check-in desk to the locker room, then to a relaxation room, as well as to the treatment rooms and back so that they get a "you're very special" experience.

Things We Like

Fun-Tastic Promotions, an Atlanta-based company, has a mobile ropes course suitable for individuals of all ages. The "Rope-a-Phobia" course has eight interactive elements; each participant is attached to a safety puck/line system by a full-body harness. For more information, visit interactivegame.net.

On the Myrtle Beach Area CVB's Web site, you'll find a comprehensive list of every flight on every airline coming to and from Myrtle Beach, as well as a booking engine.